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Tue, 20 Mar 2018 01:49:50 +0000Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Managementen-gbWORLD CUP MIRACLE!!!http://afouting.com/about-south-africa/39-general/86-world-cup-miracle
http://afouting.com/about-south-africa/39-general/86-world-cup-miracleA great article summing up the enormous success of the 2010 Football World Cup hosted by South Africa.

"No one died. No one was stabbed, no one was kidnapped and no one took a wrong turn into the clutches of a gang of garrotters. One American tourist did get shot -- in the arm -- but he wasn't here to watch the World Cup.

History will show that South Africa defied fears of violent chaos to host one of the best-attended World Cups to date. It has put Africa on the global sporting map in a way which seemed unthinkable only six months ago when Togo's footballers were ambushed by machine-gun fire before the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. Afro-pessimism spiked, with a prophet of doom in the unlikely shape of then Hull City manager Phil Brown questioning whether South Africa was up to the job.

In fact, low expectations were the hosts' greatest gift. When Armageddon did not happen and smiling crowds flocked to world-class stadiums, it was hailed as a glorious surprise, if not another rainbow nation miracle. The ultimate accolade was that, from the moment of kick-off on 11 June, people were debating French egos rather than burning tyres, goal line cameras rather than CCTV evidence and hands of god rather than hands wielding machetes.

As it became clear that matches were kicking off on time, floodlights were staying on and terrorists were staying away, newsmen shrugged and packed their bags. But this World Cup was about much more than what didn't happen. South Africa was an extraordinarily friendly and joyful place to be. Thousands of people in a nation defined by race united in the national colours in stadiums, fan parks and streets. Britain had Beatle mania; America had Obamania, now South Africa had Bafanamania. And the symbol of it all was an irrepressible plastic horn, the vuvuzela, whose buzz-drone noise looks set to be this World Cup's questionable legacy at stadiums around the world.

Dr Nikolaus Eberl, author of BrandOvation: How Germany won the World Cup of Nation Branding, said: "Everyone got very anxious before this World Cup started, but there was a collective energy, including the media, and everyone wanted it to succeed. I would say the vuvuzela is possibly the key ingredient. "It introduced a tool for all fans to be at the centre of the experience. I was astonished by the way all the foreign fans embraced it. It made the tournament truly fan-centric."

Eberl awarded the tournament a score of nine out of 10. "The only thing missing was the host team, who went out in the first round, which did deflate things a bit for a while."

Bafana Bafana, who embarked on an open-top bus parade before the tournament, became the first hosts to be knocked out in the first round. Continental disappointment was shared by Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria. Africans rallied around Ghana, only to be denied by a very professional foul.

'They missed an incredible experience'But the momentum kept going. Danny Jordaan, who on Sunday ends a 16-year journey as chief advocate and organiser of Africa's first World Cup, said: "This is something special, that people came not only to support the South African team, they came to support the event. This has been an incredible experience for our country." Asked what he now had to say to the Afro-pessimists, Jordaan replied: "The only thing we must tell them is they are now in a very small minority. They missed an incredible experience, they missed an incredible World Cup. Just stay in your corner and sulk."

The cost of it all? About R38-billion rand, the government says, roughly the equivalent of four Millennium Domes and shackled by similar doubts over white elephant stadiums. The economic benefits? With elegant symmetry, also about R38-billion, say the government. Fifa, meanwhile, walk away with a reported profit of £2-billion, tax free.

Appetite whetted for OlympicsJacob Zuma, the South African president, has now hinted at a bid to host the Olympic Games in 2020 or 2024. "I don't think anyone would say 'No' if South Africa said 'Let us have the Olympics' because they know we have the facilities," he said this week. "Our appetite has been whetted. We might end up asking."

This country hosted a very successful All Africa Games (in 1999), a Rugby World Cup (in 1995) and international cricket championships (including the 2003 World Cup, the inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and the Indian Premier League in 2009). And now a super-successful FIFA World Cup.

Sepp Blatter, Fifa's president, threw his weight behind a South African Olympic bid, likely to come from Cape Town or Durban.

"If there is any country in Africa that can host the Olympics it is South Africa," he said. "I can tell you now if a country can host a Fifa World Cup successfully, that country can definitely organise the Olympics. I would fully support such a candidature."

As for the World Cup, the baton is now passed to Brazil, with concerns already raised over crime, transport and whether stadiums will be ready on time. Sound familiar?" DAVID SMITH, THE GUARDIAN, JOHANNESBURG – 11 July 2010

]]>afouting@iafrica.com (Administrator)GeneralThu, 12 Aug 2010 08:21:59 +0000Travel Quoteshttp://afouting.com/about-south-africa/46-quotes/85-travel-quotes
http://afouting.com/about-south-africa/46-quotes/85-travel-quotes“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” Ernest Hemingway

"The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa - for he has so much to look forward to." Richard Mullin.

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.”

Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey.

“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land.”G.K. Chesterton.

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”James Michener.

“The journey not the arrival matters.”T. S. Eliot.

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”Mark Twain.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.”Mark Twain.

“We shall not cease from explorationAnd the end of all our exploringWill be to arrive where we startedAnd know the place for the first time.”T.S. Eliot, Little Gidding – The Four Quartets.

“Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is worst of all.” Brian Jackman.

With all the negativity we are experiencing right now, this positive article on South Africa by John Maudlin, one of the U.S.'s top investment advisors - recently voted second only to Warren Buffet as an investment guru - comes as great news!

"It has been an altogether marvellous 11 days in South Africa, speaking to over 1,000 people at 12 venues, giving a half dozen media interviews, and meeting with many individuals. This week, I want to give you some impressions of not only South Africa, but talk a little about emerging markets in general.

As I observed South Africa, it was forcefully brought home to me that there is more to the emerging-market story than China, India, and Brazil. There are any number of countries that are seeing robust growth and contributing to the world economy. It was reported at Davos this year that for the first time the developing world has a larger share of world GDP than the developed world.

Today, we focus on an emerging-market country that does not make as much news as it should. As I mentioned above, the mood among those I talked with in South Africa in the early 1990s when I was travelling often to South Africa was quite pessimistic. The economy was not good, due to international economic sanctions stemming from worldwide protests over the policy of apartheid. Changes and elections were coming, and it was not clear what would happen.

The contrast today is amazing. Before we get into some facts, let me give you a few impressions. First, there are construction cranes everywhere in the four cities I visited: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town. Twelve years ago the thirty miles from Johannesburg to Pretoria was mostly agricultural land. Today it is one big city, with offices, malls, and homes lining the freeway. There was a significant number of rather nice new housing developments, many if not most being built on speculation all along the freeway. Johannesburg is a world-class city, on a par with New York or London or any major city in terms of facilities, shops, infrastructure... and traffic. There were new shopping malls all over, and the stores were busy. The restaurants were excellent. The hotels I stayed in and spoke at were excellent and modern. The Sandton area is particularly pleasant.

Durban is a tropical jewel on the Indian Ocean. Again, there was construction everywhere - a green, verdant city of 1,000,000 people, with modern roads and great weather.

I have been to Sydney, Vancouver, and San Francisco. I love all of them. But for my money, Cape Town is the most beautiful city I have been to in the world. Amazing mountains, blue water harbours, white sand beaches, with wineries nestled in among the mountains and valleys. The Waterfront area, where I stayed, is fun and vibrant. Again, an amazing amount of construction everywhere, especially in the waterfront area, as investors from Dubai are pouring huge sums of money into creating a massive residential/business/ retail/restaurant development There are several similar, quite large developments going up in different parts of Cape Town.

I ate dinner on Friday night at a restaurant called Baia at the Waterfront. I find I really love the better South African chardonnays. I was pleasantly surprised to find more than a few South African chards the equal of their US counterparts, but at a third to half the price for the same level of quality. (I should note that a decent chardonnay in London or Europe is twice the US price.) The two of us had the best chardonnay in the restaurant and one of the better meals I have had in a long time, and the bill was less than $100. The next day my partner Prieur du Plessis informed me that Baia was one of the most expensive restaurants in town. By way of comparison, you can easily spend 2-3 times that at a comparable restaurant in Dallas, and 4-5 times that in New York. Forget London. I began to ask about the bills for food, drinks, and such for the rest of the trip. The country was uniformly about half what I would pay in Texas for the same quality. In short, after having been to London and Europe for my last few overseas trips, South Africa seemed like a bargain.

And it was not just the people I spoke to that were optimistic. Grant Thornton (a large international accounting firm) did a survey in the 30 countries in whichthey do business. The four countries with the most optimism and confidence were India, Ireland, South Africa, and Mainland China.

Why such confidence? I think there are several reasons. The economy has been growing at a reported almost 5% a year for the past several years, which is quite strong. They have had 32 consecutive quarters of positive growth. But the official figures may understate the reality by a significant amount. If you look at the VAT (value-added tax) receipts, as well as other tax figures, some economists estimate the economy may be growing by 7% or more. Why the difference? There is a large "informal" economy in South Africa. While much of the income may not be reported, when something is bought and sold in the retail sectors, taxes are collected. The stock market has grown by over 25%, 47%, and 41% for the last three years. Such a bull run is always a boost to confidence.

South Africa has a strong commodity sector, with numerous commodities and not just gold. JP Morgan thinks that earnings growth for South African companies, even adjusting for some anomalies, will be 20% this year, which should mean another good year for their local markets. This link between commodities and stock market prices is reflected not just in their stock market, but in emerging markets worldwide. Look at the close correlation for the last ten years between the prices of commodities and the emerging-market equity index. I think this rather clearly shows the link between the recent rise in commodity prices and emerging markets. It is more than just a China story.

The attention paid to football (or soccer in the United States) is rising to fever pitch in South Africa. And for good reason: they will host the World Cup in 2010. They expect some 3,000,000 fans to show up. The government is using the occasion to spend some 400 billion Rand (a little over US $50 billion) on all sorts of infrastructure projects. They are doubling the size of the major airports, which had already been significantly improved. Walking past the construction at the Johannesburg airport, you have to be impressed with the size of it. New roads and other forms of infrastructure are being added to prepare for the influx, but it will have the added effect of making the country more competitive, just as infrastructure in China has been a boost to that country, and a lack of infrastructure has limited India.

The World Cup will also be a boost to tourism, already one of the most important sectors of the economy. Cape Town is becoming an international destination for vacations and conferences. The growth in tourism has been strong, showing 20% growth last year from 2005. 2006 was a record year. Interestingly, 75% of the traffic reported in the tourism growth is from Africa and the Middle East. While a lot of the people are vacationers, I think a goodly portion are businessmen and women from all over sub-Saharan Africa who look to South Africa as a deal-doing financial centre.

South Africa has a quite strong, very competent, and growing financial services sector that is a magnet for entrepreneurs from all over Africa seeking to find capital. South Africa also has a strong entrepreneurial class which is the base for much of the new business and development, not just in South Africa but in all of Africa. The rest of the world rightly sees South Africa as the place to launch into the rest of Africa.

Are there problems in South Africa? Of course, and some of them are quite serious. But that is the case in nearly all (I cannot think of an exception) emerging-market economies. While the overall crime rate is dropping, it is still far too high. Some rather high-profile crimes of late have resulted in a strong outcry for serious change. Corruption is an issue, but that is the case in almost every emerging-market country. The high levels of poverty are evident. Although employment is growing and more and more of the poor are beingbrought into the economy, there is still a lot of room for progress. The telecommunications infrastructure is hampered by a lack of serious competition. Access to the internet is limited in many areas, and it is really slow where it does exist. This will improve in the coming years, but it is a serious handicap to business. There are power shortages and the need for more power-generation plants to keep up with the growth. But all these areas are (mostly) going to improve.

I see a lot of opportunity in South Africa in particular and Africa in general. There is much to like about emerging markets. That is where a great deal of the real potential growth in the coming decades will be. And South Africa will be one of the better stories. If you are not doing business there already, you should ask yourself, why not?"

There are eleven official languages in South Africa - yes, eleven!! However, you don’t have to learn them all, as the lingua franca is English! But South African English is a strange mix – strongly influenced by Afrikaans especially, and other African languages. The following list of words and terms might help you understand us – though our pronunciation is something else, of course!

We're both so proud to be part of this country - and to be privileged enough to be able to show YOU this country! Once we cringed when our "anthem" was sung, felt ashamed to see the old South African flag. Now we want to shout from the rooftops - WE'RE HERE WHERE WE BELONG, AND ARE DAILY OVERPOWERED BY THE MIRACLE THIS LAND HAS WITNESSED!

Thought we'd share with you some items that rank high on this achingly beautiful country's pride list.

GOOD NEWS SOUTH AFRICA!!

# We had our own home-made saint in the person of ex-President Nelson Mandela, surely one of the greatest forces for good in the world. He was our role-model, and an example to the world of peace, love, tolerance and reconciliation.May he rest in peace!

# Four South Africans have won the Nobel Peace Prize : Chief Albert Luthuli in 1960; Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1984; and Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk in 1993. In all cases, the prize was granted for the work done in ensuring that peaceful, rather than violent, change came to South Africa. Zackie Achmat and the Treatment Action Campaign, involved in the fight against HIV - AIDS, have been nominated for a Nobel Prize as well. South Africa can certainly be proud of these great people!

# In the past decade, enormous strides have been made in the economic field. Here follows a short list of some of those economic successes :

· When Nelson Mandela was inaugurated President in 1994, South Africa was insolvent (liabilities exceeded assets). Today the Government's deficit is negligible - one of only a handful of countries in this position.

· South Africa has the world’s 20th biggest economy – out of 230 countries! The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is the 15th largest stock exchange in the world.

· South Africa has had single-digit inflation since 1993 - following 20 years of double-digit inflation.

· Since 1995, 440 000 ha of land in South Africa have been redistributed, and 29 000 land claims settled – peacefully, legally, constitutionally – unlike in our northern neighbour, Zimbabwe!

· Mortgage rates are at their lowest level since 1981.

· Water delivery country-wide has improved by 85% since 1995. In fact, South Africa is one of only 12 countries worldwide where tap water is safe to drink everywhere!

· Half of rural homes are now electrified.

· The literacy rate has gone up by at least 10%. Total: 85.9%.

· Most South Africans now have access to a telephone link, and some 7 million actively use mobile phones.

· After a brief, sudden plunge of the South African Rand at the end of 2001, the currency has recovered the almost 40% it lost to the U.S. Dollar. Since 1994, it has been the strongest-performing currency vs. the US$.

· South Africa is still one of the world's biggest exporters of gold and other base and precious metals.

· A special fraud unit improved tax collection by US$430 million in 2001, enabling the government to cut corporate income tax rates from 48% to 30%.

· Mercedes Benz C Class, BMW 3 Series and Volkswagen Golf and Jetta vehicles for all right-hand drive markets in the world are produced in South Africa.

· South Africa's electricity supplier, ESKOM, is the largest producer of coal-fired electricity in the world, and South African electricity is among the cheapest in the world. Approximately two-thirds of all the power generated in Africa comes from South Africa.

· South African Breweries is the fourth-largest producer of beer in the world (very important, that!) - and produces over 50% of the beer consumed in China! In June 2002, S.A.B. bought Miller Brewing Company, making SAB-Miller the 2nd largest brewer in the world.

# 22 years ago, in 1986, South Africa was the pariah of the world. A state of emergency was in place; draconian legislation made the country an effective police state; Nelson Mandela was in prison; white men did two years compulsory military service, spending much of that time patrolling the black townships to keep the lid on the pressure-cooker; 64 184 black people were removed from "white areas" in that year, and 3 989 people were detained without trial. And look at the country now!

# The first heart transplant operation in the world was performed at Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital in 1967 by Professor Chris Barnard. South African surgeons are renowned the world over for their cardiovascular research and heart surgery technology.

# For a country as small as ours, and so "backward" compared to most of the "developed" countries, South Africa has a remarkable sporting pedigree : think of golfing legends Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen (South Africans have won more U.S. golf tournaments than any other foreign country); swimmers like Karen Muir and Penny Heyns, Ryk Neethling and Roland Schoeman; our 1995 and 2007 rugby world champions. In 2003, for the first time, South Africa hosted the international Cricket World Cup. We have been awarded the 2010 Soccer (Foorball) World Cup. And Cape Town came a narrow second to Athens in the bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games.

# South African authors have won major international awards : Nadine Gordimer the Nobel Prize for literature in 1991; and J. M. Coetzee the Nobel Prize in 2003 and the Booker Prize twice! And Athol Fugard is the second most performed playwright in English after Shakespeare.

# South African banks are among the best in the world in terms of competitiveness and efficiency. 4 of South Africa’s banks are listed among the world’s top 200.

# 8 of South Africa’s universities are listed among the top 200 research universities in the world.

# South Africans are highly regarded internationally as negotiators. Cyril Ramaphosa was in charge of the decommissioning of I.R.A weapons; Nelson Mandela settled the dispute over Lockerbie; Thabo Mbeki initiated the mediation in the D.R.C., and is currently hard at work trying to bring normality to beleaguered Zimbabwe; and Judge Richard Goldstone headed the investigation into the Kosovo war crimes.

# South African wines are among the finest in the world, and consistently win international awards. Wine was first produced in South Africa over 300 years ago, and South Africa is currently the world’s 8th largest wine-producing nation.

# We have some of the most superb National Parks in the world - from the awesome Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (one of the world's first cross-border parks run jointly by South Africa and Botswana), to the world-renowned Kruger National Park. Kruger was one of the first National Parks in the world (founded in 1898), has the most innovative management of any park in the world, and is the world's most profitable game reserve.

# South Africa has the most sophisticated road and rail infrastructure in Africa.

# South Africa is the only country in the world to have acquired, and subsequently fully dismantled, its nuclear weapons capability.

# South Africa's hotels are among the best in the world - and a number of them (such as the Cape Grace and Mount Nelson in Cape Town, and the Londolozi, Singita and Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve) have won international awards from Conde 'Nast and other top sources.

# Archbishop Tutu described South Africans as the "rainbow people of God". How right he was! With 11 official languages, 3 major religions, and more than 20 different ethnic groups, there is a remarkable cultural diversity in this country.

# South Africa's national flag is one of the most popular and easily identified in the world (apparently the 3rd most easily identifiable!). The new multi-coloured flag, introduced in 1994, is symbolic of the optimistic new start this country made in that momentous year. The central design begins as a V near the flag-pole, then comes together in the centre of the flag as a single horizontal band. This represents the coming together of all South Africans in a new, united future!

# “Homo Habilis”, considered to be the first true ancestor of the human race, is thought to have emerged here in South Africa. Fragments found at the Sterkfontein Cave near Johannesburg – a cave where more hominid remains have been found than at any site in the world – belong to this species. The Sterkfontein area has recently been declared the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.

# South Africa has seven World Heritage Sites : the Cradle of Humankind; Robben Island; the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park; the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park (recently renamed the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park); the Vredefort Dome; the Cape Floristic Region; and the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape.

# Cape Town’s Table Mountain is one of the seven natural wonders of the modern world, and surely one of the most famous. The flat-topped, 1 089m-high massif can be seen from 250km out at sea. It is also the only geographical feature in the world to have a constellation of stars named after it – “Mons Mensa”.

# SASOL was the world’s first producer of oil from coal – and it still contributes more than 40% of South Africa’s oil needs.

TWO COMMENTS ON AFRICA / SOUTH AFRICA FROM RECENT LITERATURE :

# “The Dark Continent is at once a misnomer and an awful truism. The sun never shines as brightly as it does in Africa. Unfortunately the brightest sunshine casts the darkest shadows and the miseries that lie in Africa’s umbra are the most abject in the world…… And yet. Not for nothing has this continent been confirmed as the cradle of all humankind. Not for nothing do we know that the first people on earth were Africans and that other races developed from them. Not for nothing do Africa’s misplaced citizens – the Afro-Americans and West Indians – hanker to find their roots. And not those people alone. Everyone of whatever race, nation or creed who comes to Africa feels a magnetism that cannot be ignored or explained. Because it is primeval. Because Africa is like a mother calling her children home. Old, addled and poor she may be, but the pull of the umbilicus is still there. Irresistibly.”

John Ryan, One Man’s Africa

And how about this magnificent passage from the Alexander Mc Call Smith novel Tears of the Giraffe - his protagonist, Mma Ramotswe is thinking :

"Then there was Mr. Mandela. Everybody knew about Mr. Mandela and how he had forgiven those who had imprisoned him. They had taken away years and years of his life simply because he wanted justice. They had set him to work in a quarry and his eyes had been permanently damaged by the rock dust. But at last, when he had walked out of the prison on that breathless, luminous day, he had said nothing about revenge or even retribution. He had said that there were more important things to do than to complain about the past, and in time he had shown that he meant this by hundreds of acts of kindness towards those who had treated him so badly. That was the real African way, the tradition that was closest to the heart of Africa. We are all children of Africa, and none of us is better or more important than the other. This is what Africa could say to the world : it could remind it what it is to be human."

Dredged through the books in our "library" - some from our university and teaching days, some more recent reads! - to put together a suggested reading list. Some heavy, some light; some serious, some hilarious; some old, some current!

This country of ours has a history which goes back many centuries. After all, it is generally accepted that the earliest humanoid remains come from – um – were discovered a bit to the left of Johannesburg, South Africa. So, WELCOME HOME! It’s been a while ……..

For the purposes of this little “guide”, we will use the year 1994 as the start of our history – for practical and somewhat selfish reasons. There will, of course, be references to events and “things” which occurred before this year, but we’re sure you will understand our motivation.

South Africans, hereafter referred to as Seffricans (we even speak our own English – the language experts refer to it as S.A.E. – South African English), tend to talk about the “Old” and the “New” South Africa. The ‘old” bit means before 1994 – i.e. the Apartheid era; and the ‘new’ thereafter – i.e. after our first truly democratic election, and Nelson Mandela’s presidency.

We are, as you may or may not know, a real hotchpotch of races, languages, cultures, religions, etc. Archbishop Desmond Tutu (one of the finest South Africans EVER!) dubbed us the “Rainbow Nation”. Quite appropriate, that! AND we’re not even referring to the fact that South Africa is the first country in the world to specifically guarantee same sex rights in its constitution (widely regarded as one of the most liberal, accommodating constitutions ever).

So – in 1994, Seffricans consisted of a lot of originally African people, otherwise known as “Blacks”; a mish–mash of largely and originally ex-European “Whites”; quite a few so-called “Coloured” citizens of mixed ethnic backgrounds; a significant dose of Indian folk (from INDIA!); as well as lashings of various others (hope they’re not offended that they’re not listed here!).

To add to our glorious blend, we also tend to speak a variety of languages – not just S.A.E.! We are certainly on the medals table when it comes to having the most official languages – 11 in all! S.A.E. is the really “official” official one, but we chat away to / at / past each other in a real assortment, sometimes understanding, often not. But – life goes on. Fortunately, we do not have to have all our signage printed in all the official languages!

Religion is another wonderful patchwork over here at the southern tip of the world’s largest continent. There’s a lot of Christianity, quite a bit of “traditional” African, Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Buddhist, Rastafarian, Aetheist and much more. Sadly, the worship and glorification of Mammon is also one of the favourite religions here!

When we welcome you “Uitlanders” (that’s Afrikaans for “foreigners”), we know that sometime soon you’ll enquire as to our national dish. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but we don’t really have such a thing. As mentioned earlier, we are a pretty mixed bunch, with so many culinary backgrounds, so it’s impossible to single out A SINGLE national dish. In different parts of the country – and in different communities – locals will have very different ideas as to what would constitute our national dish. However, there are a few which are generally regarded as coming close to that elusive single dish.

• SAMP AND BEANS: “What the heck?” you say. Relax – it’s only maize-meal porridge and beans, spiced up with whatever is available. For those who can afford it, the deluxe version would include a meat sauce or stew – commonly known as “pap en vleis” (porridge and meat).

• BOBOTIE: (bo-bo-tea) Minced (ground for the Yanks) beef with a dash of curry, raisins, bay leaves and a layer of milk and egg custard on the top, baked in the oven and served with yellow rice and sambals (usually chutney). Actually a Malay dish introduced by the slaves from the old Dutch East Indies.

• WATERBLOMMETJIE BREDIE: CRIPES!! Quite a mouthful, if you’ll excuse the pun! Literally “waterflower stew”. Considered an Afrikaans favourite, it consists of the fruit from a type of water lily cooked up with lamb and spices into a stew, served with rice (and lots of booze!).

• BILTONG: Not actually a dish, as such, more of a favourite snack. This consists of strips of spiced and dried meat (beef or game – NEVER chicken!) Think of it as African carpachio! A variation is DROEWORS (dried sausage). This is dried spiced sausage – VERY good with lots of beer!!

* A BRAAI: Again, not a dish as such - a way of cooking and social occasion combined, referred to elsewhere as a barbecue. Here, however, real wood is used - and while the wood burns down to coals, the "social" part takes place, usually accompanied by fair amounts of beer, wine, Brandy and Coke (a very popular local drink) or other alcoholic beverages! When the coals are ready, meat, vegatables, bread and other items are then grilled over them. Often by this stage of proceedings, the "braai-er" is so inebriated that much of the stuff is burnt - but nobody really notices!

National dress? WHOA! Sorry – no such thing! And that romantic notion you have hidden in your head about the good old tribal outfits – “natives” running around in animal skins with spears at the ready – forget it!! That’s pretty much like going to England and expecting everyone to be strolling around looking like Queen Victoria! So – the only time you’ll see those traditional outfits will be at cultural shows. Otherwise, we tend to dress pretty much like the rest of the world. And as for the youngsters, they dress pretty much like youngsters everywhere do these days – BADLY! We are as much a victim of the American gangsta – rap – bling stuff as everyone else!

As for our money (we know it’s difficult getting used to foreign currency), it’s actually quite simple. Our currency is known as the “Rand” (from the ridges around Johannesburg where gold was discovered in the 1800’s). You must have read (you DID read up about South Africa before embarking on this trip, didn’t you?) about the “Big Five” – rhino, elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard. Well, there you have our banknotes! Rhino = R10,00; Elephant = R20,00; Lion = R50,00; Buffalo = R100,00 and Leopard = R200,00. As for the small change (that’s the coins)…… Wildebeest = R5,00; Impala = R2,00; Springbok (our national animal) = R1,00; Strelitzia or bird-of-paradise flower = 50 cents; Protea = 20c; Arum lily = 10c; and Blue crane (our national bird) = 5c. There are 100 cents in a rand. There, that was easy, wasn’t it?

Sport? OK. Sorry to disappoint you again, but we do not have any peculiarly African sport. No national spear throwing contests or suchlike. Pretty ordinary, actually. Having been a British colony for so long, our favourite sports tend to be “colonial’ in nature - with a few interesting features, given our racially divided past. Amongst Black Seffricans, the favourite is soccer (football). Look around you as you travel across the country, you are bound to see stickers (decals) on cars and taxis identifying the owners as supporters of Kaiser Chiefs (Amakosi), Mamelodi Sundowns, Bucs or Pirates. Among Whites, Coloureds and Indians it will be cricket and rugby, as well as some soccer, but NOT local!! The latter groups will sport stickers such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea. (Any of them ever benn to these places? Of course not!) Then there’s also baseball, tennis, swimming, athletics, etc……